Prior art clamps comprise a clamping ring, coupled to two jaws. The terminal in fitted into the clamping ring and as the jaws move toward each other, the ring is clamped to the terminal. A screw and a nut can keep the jaws together and the ring clamped on the terminal during operation. This will allow current to flow from the terminal to an external cable through the clamp.
Particularly, vertically screwed clamps are equipped with a clip which engages the jaws and may slide relative to the jaws, parallel to the direction of insertion of the terminal into the ring. The clip has inclined surfaces such that its movement will cause the jaws to move toward each other.
The screw is also arranged parallel to the direction of insertion of the terminal. Particularly, the screw shank is placed between the jaws and extends through a hole of the clip. As the clip is pressed upon the jaws by the screw and the nut, the ring is maintained in its clamping position.
A clamp of this type is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,143.
In automotive applications, particularly in farm vehicles, the clamp is subject to strong vibration. Due to such vibration, the clamp may slip off the battery pole even once the nut and screw have been tightened on the clamp, obviously leading to drawbacks for vehicle operation. Access to the hood of the vehicle is required to act upon the clamp and fit it back onto the battery pole.
This drawback may be avoided by properly positioning the clamp on the battery pole before tightening the nut on the screw. Particularly, the clamp shall be well fitted on the battery pole and pressed against the outer surface of the battery, and the clamping ring shall be oriented perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the battery pole.
The object of the present invention is to solve the above discussed problem by providing a clamp in which the screw and the nut can be only tightened on the clamp if the clamp is in a proper position relative to the terminal. Thus, once the screw and the nut have been tightened, the risk that the clamp might inadvertently slip off the terminal is greatly reduced.